Tool belts used by workers typically include various arrangements for attaching and supporting articles which the worker uses in carrying out his or her tasks. These support arrangements may be as simple as a loop attached to, or extending from, the belt for supporting various tools such as a hammer, wrench, screw driver, etc. More complicated hook-like arrangements may also be attached to the belt for supporting heavier objects or an article other than a tool which is being used by the worker. Such other types of articles may include a bucket, a roll of wire, a container of nails, a roll of tape, etc. When the carrier arrangement is formed integrally with the belt, it is typically comprised of cloth or leather. Because of the flexibility of cloth and leather, it sometimes is difficult to either insert an article in the loop-shaped attachment or to remove an article therefrom, particularly when the worker has only one hand available. Other arrangements include a hook-like member removably attached to the belt. Examples of this latter arrangement can be found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,687,892; 5,743,451; 6,199,736; 409,239; Des. 275,527; Des. 443,135; and Des. 452,435. U.S. Pat. No. 6,062,449 discloses a tool tote including a rigid hook-like member attached to the belt by means of a clip, with the hook-like member and clip connected by means of a swivel element which allows the hook-like member to be rotatively repositioned for comfort and accessibility. In all of the above-listed arrangements, the article engaging support element includes a rigid hook-like member which cannot be reconfigured when not in use, nor adjusted in position to accommodate various sizes and configurations of a supported article.
The present invention addresses the aforementioned limitations of the prior art by providing a belt supported carrier for an article such as a tool for use by a worker which is easily attached to and removed from the worker's belt, is easily accessed by the worker for attaching or removing a tool, is movable between an extended, use configuration and a compact, non-use configuration, and is inexpensively manufactured, durable and easy to use.